There have been many cases of kids becoming trapped in claw machines in the past. Fire crews usually have to crack open the machines to pluck the little tykes out.

The boy did not appear to have any toys in his hands when he was rescued. He also didn’t have any prizes stuffed into the pockets of his pyjamas.

Perhaps the boy’s parents should take him to the city of Chongqing, where one shopping mall has created a human claw machine. Operators strap a child into a crane and suspend them over a pool full of toys, then lower them down to grab the toys themselves.